9 Thrifty Tips to Make the Most of Your Holiday Cash.

Currency exchange rates are a hot topic right now. Making the most of your holiday cash has never been more important. Whether you’re heading off for a spot of winter sun or looking to book a 2017 getaway, you’ll need some local currency. We have compiled a handy guide to help you to make the most of your holiday cash. Read our tips to help you get more bang for your holiday buck …

Photo by: kitzcorner/Fotolia

Planning your getaway

1. Come fly with me …

Sign up to the low-cost airlines newsletters. easyJet, Ryanair, Monarch et al all let you know when they release fares for the following spring/ summer/ autumn/ winter.

For example, easyJet will imminently publish their summer flights schedule (end of June – mid September 2017). Being signed up to their email alerts mean that you’re ahead of the pack!

Jet2 have also launched summer fares from Stansted Airport for summer 2017 covering Spain (including the Balearics and the Canaries) as well as Portugal, Madeira, Croatia and the Greek Islands. They also offer great deals at northerly airports such as Manchester and Edinburgh.

Consider flying mid-week or at slightly more unsociable times. This can save you a lot, especially at peak times.

2. Villa or hotel room?

You’ll also need a roof over your head, but how can you save money here? Firstly, compare the costs of a hotel with that or renting an apartment or villa (depending on your group size.) Sites such as Owners Direct or Home Away are a great place to start. The savings will vary from country to country. For a group of 4 travelling to Malta in June 2017 for a week, an apartment costs from about £280 for a week. Hotels start at about 500EUR.

Don’t be hasty when making your decision on where to stay. When searching many websites, you simply enter your dates and times and your price appears. There are always a few options where you must email the owner, but can you be bothered to wait for a reply? Probably not! Be patient and email them! This can work wonders when you’re travelling for an event, or where there is limited availability.

3. International payments

If you are booking a villa/apartment and looking to pay the owner directly, many will now charge you for using PayPal. If you want another option, sign-up for an international money transfer service such as Western Union or the Post Office. Usually, you don’t have to pay a fee (as you would with your bank) and you’ll probably benefit from a better exchange rate too.

Top tip – Keep any receipts and always ask for confirmation from the recipient that they have received the funds.

Photo by: michaeljung/Fotolia

Buying currency when abroad

4. Flashing the cash

If you’re looking to take cash with you, use travelmoneymax.com (brought to you by Money Saving Expert) to find the best place to get your currency.

5. Spend here, spend there, spend everywhere

Take a pre-paid currency card such as CaxtonFX. It covers multiple currencies and means you can load on your money whenever you like. The handy app means if you run out of funds you can easily top it up, even on the go. This is especially handy when visiting countries such as Norway or Hungary where Euros are not used and you don’t want to be lumbered with unused currency upon your return. Use the card as a credit/debit card in shops and restaurants, or simply withdraw cash from local ATMs.

6. Bring your flexible friend

Both the Halifax Clarity credit card and Post Office Platinum credit card, are perfect for using abroad as they don’t levy any fees. You can obtain cash fee free from ATMs with the Halifax Clarity credit card. Nationwide also offer a Select credit card which is fee free.

7. Avoid the debit card trap

This is probably the worst way to spend abroad, so make sure you thoroughly check charges before spending. Nationwide’s Flex is still one of the best options, but you must pay in at least £750. There is a non-sterling transaction fee of 2% as well as a £1 fee for any cash withdrawals. This is one of the lowest in the market place.

Norwich and Peterborough Building Society offer a Gold Light and Gold Classic account which permit free debit card use abroad. You do need to pay in at least £500 a month with a Gold Classic and make at least 5 transactions a month with the Gold Light to benefit from this.

8. Hit the open road

When booking your hire car with Zest Car Rental (of course!) you always pay in full upon booking. This means that you’re not subject to currency fluctuations, so you can budget accordingly.

9. Last but not least …

Always pay in local currency! When making a transaction, if asked don’t pay in GBP/ Sterling always opt to pay in the local currency.

Photo by: alphaspirit/Fotolia

Don’t get caught out

Spending time researching your best options is often the best way to save some cash. Give yourself plenty of time for planning.

If you have any thrifty travel tips to share with us, please use the comments below.

Written by Gemma Russell.

Make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest travel tips and news. Remember to sign up to our newsletter below for the latest deals.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Want our blogs emailed direct to you? Sign up below to get updates featuring our blogs and car hire top tips. Receive the best deals on car hire straight to your inbox.